Enhanced care to lower deaths in people with advanced HIV
An Enhanced Package of Care to Reduce Mortality in Persons with Advanced HIV Disease
This project uses a quick CD4 test plus rapid infection screening and preventive medicines to help people with advanced HIV start treatment more safely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11146713 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many people with HIV still arrive for care with very low CD4 counts and face a high risk of life-threatening infections when they begin antiretroviral therapy. This project uses a simple point-of-care CD4 test to identify people with advanced HIV, then screens for common opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis and cryptococcal disease using rapid tests and targeted lab assays. Those found at risk will be offered preventive medicines and treatments (for example antifungals and TB prophylaxis) as part of an enhanced package of care delivered at clinics. The team will compare outcomes after ART start to see if the enhanced package reduces early deaths and severe complications.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV who present for care with advanced disease (CD4 count under about 200 cells/µL), especially in clinics where routine CD4 testing and infection screening are not consistently done, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with well-controlled HIV or CD4 counts comfortably above 200 who are stable on ART are unlikely to benefit from this enhanced screening and prophylaxis package.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could cut early deaths after starting HIV treatment by finding advanced disease quickly and preventing common fatal infections.
How similar studies have performed: The WHO has recommended screening and prophylaxis for advanced HIV and new point-of-care CD4 and infection tests exist, but the complete enhanced package has not been validated in a clinical trial.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rajasingham, Radha — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Rajasingham, Radha
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.